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Variations of baseball
In sports, the term diamond sports refers to recreational (often scaled down) variants of baseball, a bat-and-ball sport. The most popular and closely related sport to baseball is softball, with the two sports being administered internationally by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), alongside Baseball5.
Many variations of baseball change the game significantly. For example, many variations are played informally, with less equipment or space requirements and a softer ball, and certain variations do not feature a pitcher or have the batters hit the ball using their hands or feet, with failure to legally hit the ball on the first opportunity resulting in an automatic out. There may be a lack of baserunning, with base hits awarded according to the distance or number of bounces the batted ball takes before being fielded, and imaginary "invisible runners" advancing around the bases in lieu of actual runners.
There are also some bat-and-ball sports which are distinct from baseball, such as rounders, that strongly resemble it.
Early versions of baseball had regional variations in different parts of the United States, until the modern standard (the "New York game"), codified in and evolving from the 1845 Knickerbocker Rules, became the main form of baseball after the 1860s Civil War.
Certain aspects of modern baseball were completely missing in these early variants; for example, the pitcher was expected to make it easy for the batter to hit the ball, and the usual fielding configuration saw most of the infielders standing on their bases. Some features of these variants can still be found in modern baseball variants, such as the use of underarm pitching in softball, or batters hitting with the hand (as in punchball) rather than a bat. Other historical variants coincided with rule changes made to the game in its early history; for example, baseball played on ice in the late 19th century may have led to batters being allowed to overrun first base, and arguments for ten-person baseball teams were made at the time that the "fair foul" was permitted.
The difficulty of affording and acquiring standard equipment, particularly in pre-industrial America, saw the rules be altered in several ways by children playing with roughshod equipment; for example, when catchers played without a mask, they would often stand further back from the plate, and stealing of home or even other bases was often prohibited. Sticks or stones could be used to mark the bases, making the game easy to set up and participate in.
Baseball, as the historical national pastime of America, inspired many variants. Many variations of baseball were invented in urban areas, where space was limited; immigrants in the inner city often adapted to American life by playing such games. These variants were often played with a spaldeen ball; for example, punchball's popularity derived partially from the fact that it was played with nothing more than a rubber ball and the fact that it didn't carry the same risk of losing the ball or breaking windows as baseball. The ball used could even be as simple as a rolled-up set of socks (known as a sockball) or a taped-up wad of paper. Features of the city streets, such as the manhole covers for the sewers, were often involved in the regulations of such games. (For other examples of urban American games, see: Traditional games of New York City).
In the 21st century, the WBSC has promoted several variations of baseball at the international level. Softball became part of the WBSC's offerings at the time of its 2014 formation, when the International Baseball Federation merged with the International Softball Federation. Baseball5, a highly simplified version of baseball, was started in 2017 as a way to reach new fans. In 2020, the WBSC accepted baseball e-sport as one of its official disciplines.
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Variations of baseball AI simulator
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Variations of baseball
In sports, the term diamond sports refers to recreational (often scaled down) variants of baseball, a bat-and-ball sport. The most popular and closely related sport to baseball is softball, with the two sports being administered internationally by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), alongside Baseball5.
Many variations of baseball change the game significantly. For example, many variations are played informally, with less equipment or space requirements and a softer ball, and certain variations do not feature a pitcher or have the batters hit the ball using their hands or feet, with failure to legally hit the ball on the first opportunity resulting in an automatic out. There may be a lack of baserunning, with base hits awarded according to the distance or number of bounces the batted ball takes before being fielded, and imaginary "invisible runners" advancing around the bases in lieu of actual runners.
There are also some bat-and-ball sports which are distinct from baseball, such as rounders, that strongly resemble it.
Early versions of baseball had regional variations in different parts of the United States, until the modern standard (the "New York game"), codified in and evolving from the 1845 Knickerbocker Rules, became the main form of baseball after the 1860s Civil War.
Certain aspects of modern baseball were completely missing in these early variants; for example, the pitcher was expected to make it easy for the batter to hit the ball, and the usual fielding configuration saw most of the infielders standing on their bases. Some features of these variants can still be found in modern baseball variants, such as the use of underarm pitching in softball, or batters hitting with the hand (as in punchball) rather than a bat. Other historical variants coincided with rule changes made to the game in its early history; for example, baseball played on ice in the late 19th century may have led to batters being allowed to overrun first base, and arguments for ten-person baseball teams were made at the time that the "fair foul" was permitted.
The difficulty of affording and acquiring standard equipment, particularly in pre-industrial America, saw the rules be altered in several ways by children playing with roughshod equipment; for example, when catchers played without a mask, they would often stand further back from the plate, and stealing of home or even other bases was often prohibited. Sticks or stones could be used to mark the bases, making the game easy to set up and participate in.
Baseball, as the historical national pastime of America, inspired many variants. Many variations of baseball were invented in urban areas, where space was limited; immigrants in the inner city often adapted to American life by playing such games. These variants were often played with a spaldeen ball; for example, punchball's popularity derived partially from the fact that it was played with nothing more than a rubber ball and the fact that it didn't carry the same risk of losing the ball or breaking windows as baseball. The ball used could even be as simple as a rolled-up set of socks (known as a sockball) or a taped-up wad of paper. Features of the city streets, such as the manhole covers for the sewers, were often involved in the regulations of such games. (For other examples of urban American games, see: Traditional games of New York City).
In the 21st century, the WBSC has promoted several variations of baseball at the international level. Softball became part of the WBSC's offerings at the time of its 2014 formation, when the International Baseball Federation merged with the International Softball Federation. Baseball5, a highly simplified version of baseball, was started in 2017 as a way to reach new fans. In 2020, the WBSC accepted baseball e-sport as one of its official disciplines.